Delta Unisaw vs Jet cabinet saw
woodenfish3
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I have a chance to buy a slightly used one year old 3hp Unisaw at a fair price in terms percentage off new, about 30% off new from the best new price.
But I wonder if I should pay the somewhat higher price for the Unisaw.
Do you think the Jet 10″ cabinet table saw is the better value?
I don’t care much about resale value. I only care about the actual quality when I am using it. I won’t sell it; my children might.
Some one told me that the Jet actually is the better saw, or is very comparable, at about 15-20% less than the Unisaw.
When I was at a tools place, I had them side by side. The Jet seems quite comparable to the Unisaw to me, but I don’t know for sure.
Edited 2/28/2006 11:38 pm ET by woodenfish3
Replies
We used to sell both saws when I worked for a dealer as a tech and the Jet was pretty much a copy of the Uni under the hood. They did make a bracket so you could use a standard motor. The unisaw motor has special mounting tabs so you can't readily use a regular motor. I can't say if it is better but I don't think you would do bad with a Jet. Was in another shop recently and saw a few Grizzly cab saws. They seem to be getting better in quality. Have you looked at small sliders or the hybrids. Dewalt, Kufo, Rojek, etc. After using sliders in commercial shops I can't stand regular saws anymore. Just my preference, especially sine you are planning on keeping it. I don't need a Radial arm saw or miter saw with a slider for furniture making. No sleds to mess with either.
Does it mean that a 3-phase Jet can be made into 1 phase with the cost of a generic motor?
With a 3 phase Unisaw it is more complex?
Edited 3/1/2006 5:55 pm ET by woodenfish3
I thought you were looking at new Jet saws? I would say it would be feasible to switch the Jet motor easier but why not just buy a single phase in the first place? You could make a motor plate or the Jet plate might fit on the Unisaw. if the used Uni is three phase I would go with the Jet in a single phase.I'd still look at the sliders. In the long run it will cost more but you will get more saw. Check for dado capability. Some sliders don't take dado blades. I think the Rojek does.
I have had a Jet Xacta cabinet saw I bought from Amazon for a year now. After discounts and rebares, it cost me $1425 for the saw with a 50" fence, extension table, and mobile base. At the time Woodworkers Supply was offering similar prices on certain Unisaws. I can't imagine a Unisaw being any better than the Jet. It may also not be any worse. Go with whichever you can get the best deal on.
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